JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars have fired Urban Meyer just 13 games into his first season with the NFL.
The former Buckeyes head coach went 2-11 with the Jaguars before their owner Shad Khan announced Meyer's termination early Thursday morning.
The Jaguars have had an abysmal 2021 campaign, averaging just under 11 points a game on offense and giving up double that on the defensive side of the ball.
Meyer's first season in the NFL was also surrounded by drama off the field.
After losing to the Cincinnati Bengals in October, a viral video showed Meyer at his restaurant/bar in Columbus, Urban Meyer’s Pint House, with a woman dancing on his lap. A second video surfaced, showing what appeared to be Meyer touching the woman's behind.
Khan called Meyer's actions "inexcusable" but said Meyer had to work to regain the team's trust. Meyer apologized to his family, players and the organization.
In more recent events, Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo told a Florida newspaper reporter that Meyer kicked him during practice in August.
“After deliberation over many weeks and a thorough analysis of the entirety of Urban’s tenure with our team, I am bitterly disappointed to arrive at the conclusion that an immediate change is imperative for everyone,” Khan said in a statement. “I informed Urban of the change this evening. As I stated in October, regaining our trust and respect was essential. Regrettably, it did not happen.”
Meyer coached the Buckeyes for seven years, earning Ohio State a national championship in the 2014 season. A couple of years after retiring from coaching, Urban signed a five-year contract with Jacksonville.